Universal joint.



E. G. HOPPMANN.

UNIVERSAL JOINT. APPLICATION 211.121) JUNE 19, 1907.

Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

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WITNESSES E, e. HOPPMANN.

UNIVERSAL JOINT.- AlPI-IOATIOH FILED Jun 19, 1907.

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W? ww ll-lhllllllI lllllllIu-l'll E. G. HOFFMANN.

UNIVERSAL JOINT.

. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 19, 1907.

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INVENTOH A 303N578 Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

WITNESSES iZi ERNST GUSTAV HOFFMANN, OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK.

'UNIVERSAL JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

Application flied June 19, 1907. Serial No. 379,683.

To all whom 'it may concern;

Be it known that I, Enns'r Gus'rliv Horr- MANN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New Rochelle, in the county of Westchester, in the State of New York, have invented certain new. and useful Improvements in Universal Joints or Couplings for Shafting, &c., of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad to the accom anying drawings,.forming a part. hereof.

T 's invention relates to universal joints or couplings of the general character of that shown in Letters Patent of the United States N0. 771,637, dated October 4th, 1904. In

such universal joints or c0uplings,'the two yoke-like members on age, both externally, the intermediate mem er, eachof the two outer or yoke-shaped members having two cups or bosses to engage the corresponding bearing pivots of the intermediate member, the. axes of the two sets 61 pivot bearings lying in the same plane, but intersecting at right angles. This construction prohibited great compactness, especially in the directionof the axis. of the joint, and involved some difficulties in assembling the joint and iii-applying it in some instances.

T e object of the present invention is to enable the joint to be made more compact, especially in the direction of length, and to facilitate the assembling of the members of the joint and the attachment; and removal of the joint to and from'the arts of the mechanism with which it is emp oyed, particularl in cases in which the joint is to be attached: at least at one end, not to a central shaft, but to some larger body, such, for example, as the hub of a driving wheel of a motor vehicle.

In accordance with the resent invention, the three members of the oint are arranged one within the other, one of the terminal members embracing the intermediate member, whilethe latter, in turn, embraces the other terminal member, which makes it possible to secure great. compactness of construction without sacrificing flexibility. Moreover, the intermediate member is preferably provided externallywith two pivot bearings to engage corres onding cups or bosses of the outer termina member, and is provided internally with two cups or bosses to receive corresponding pivot bearings of the inner terminal member. 9 The outer terminal .memher is preferably ring-like, while theinner terminal member has a single cross head and the intermediate member is box-shaped.

The invention will be more-fully explained hereinafter and other desirable details of construction described,with reference to the accompan g drawings in which it is illustrated an in which Figure 1 is a view of the improved joint showing the outer memberand the intermediate member in central section and the inner member in elevation. Fig. 2 is a view in section on the plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, W1th the pivot bearings in elevation. Fig. 3 is a detailed view in section of the outer member with the bearing parts removed. Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of the intermediate member. Fig. 5 is a detailed view of one of the bearing caps. Fig. 6 is a view in elevation of the inner terminal member. Figs. 7 and 8 are views illustrating the application of the improved joint to a driving wheel'of amotor vehicle,.a portion of the wheel bein shown in dotted lines, and Fig. 9 is a view ilustrating the application of the improved joint to the cou hng of two lines of shafting placed at an ang e of 90.

The outer terminal member a of the oint, preferably ring-like as shown is I provided with diametrically op osite, inwardly rojecting cups or bosses li, the wall of eac of which, on one side, is provided with a notch or ass 0, for a urpose resentlyto be descrl ed. -Each oss is aso provided at-its inner end with an inwardly projecting shoulder (1 to form a seat for the race or ring e of a member 2' of the oint is yoke-likeor box-like,

having upon its opposite side walls k bearing pivots l to enter t e cups or bosses b of the outer member, havin construction shown, t 'e rings g of the ball hearing. The other, opposite walls of the intermediate member i are each formed or provided witha cup or boss 112., similar to the cups or bosses b of the outer member, having an inner shoulder n to support therace or ring 0 of a ball bearing and threaded at the open outer end to receive a cap p which retains the outer race or ring 0.. An inner race or ring and balls 7 complete the bearing. The we is of the bosses m are cut away slightly, as shown at m in Fig. 8, to facilitate fast thereon, in the proved joint, t

the assembling of the parts, as hereinafter described. The inner terminal member 8 consists of a cross head on the end of the shaft .9, provided with pivotbearings twliich have fast thereon the rmgs or races and is embraced b the intermediate mem er t.

the members of the ime intermediate member is rst, introduced within the outer terminal member and is rotated to cause the bearing pivots l thereof to enter the bosses b throu the notches or passes a formed in the wa ls thereof. The balls and outer rin s of the ball bearings are then introduce and secured in position by the caps f, thus retaining the bean pivots of the intermediate member in the osses of the outer member. The inner terminal member s, by tilting and shifting from one side to the other, is then introduced within the intermediate member, such introduction being facilitated b the slight cutting away'of the walls of the osses m, as indicated at m in Fig. 8, and in turn is re- In assem lingl tained in position by the insertion of the balls and rings or races of the ball bearings which are themselves retained in place by the caps 12. In the a plication of the improve joint to a large ody, such as the hub of a driving wheel of a motor vehicle, as indicated in Figs. 7 and 8, the outer member a is convenient y provided externally with lugs a for e a ement with internal notches in the end 0 t 1e hub which is indicated by dotted lines at a in Fi s. 7 and 8.

It will be observe that the improved construction easily permits of a relative oscillation of 45 between the two parts which are joined or coupled, so that, as .shown in 9, two lines of transmission shafting, as t, t, at an angle of 90 can readily be joined or coupled by the use of two of the improved universal 'oints with a common connecting shaft 8. he details of construction of the two universal joints thus used may be sub-' v versal oint, operating through a great angle ofdefiection, shall be compensatedor neutralized by the action of the other universal oint operating through the same angle of tion as the driving inwardly projecting eeassa deflection, and the driven shaft be caused thereby to rotate with the/same regular moshaft.;

It will be seen not only that the improved joint is exceedingly compact, especially in the direction of le th, but that it fully realizes all of the desirable qualities of a universal joint, adaptin itself readily to variations in alinement and aving no back lash.

It will be understood that the ball bearings can be dispensed with if desired and that various other changes in details of construction and arrangement can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim as my invention:-

1. A universal joint comprising an inner terminal member provided with ivot bearings, an intermediate member em racing the inner member and provided with internal bosses to receive the ivot bearings of the inner member and Witt? external pivot bearings, and a ring-like outer terminal member having interna bosses with slotted walls to receive pivot bearings of the intermediate member and bearing rings to retain the pivot hearings in the slotted bosses.

2. A universal joint comprising an inner member rovided with pivot bearings, an intermediate member embracing the inner member and provided with bosses to receive the ivot bearings of the inner member, bearing rings to retain the pivot bearings and caps to close the open outer ends of the bosses and retain the bearing rings, and also provided'externally with bearing pivots, and an outer terminal member provided with internal bosses to receive the ivot bearings of the intermediate member, caring to retain the pivot bearin and caps to'close the outer open ends of t e bosses and retain the bearing rings.

3. A universal joint comprising an outer member, an inner member having pivot bearings, and an intermediate member having pivot bearings, the outer member having I bearing bosses provide with slots adapted to ermit the insertion of the pivot bearings of t e intermediate member, and the intermediate member having inwardly projecting bearing bosses embracin the pivot bearings of the inner member an cut away to permit the insertion of said pivot bearings.

This specification signed and witnessed this 14th da of June, 1907.

ER ST. GUSTAV HOFFMANN.

Signed in the resence of ELLA J. auoan, Anaaosa L. OSunA. 

